InsideJapan News Network

The number of children in Japan has fallen to its lowest number in almost three decades, figures from the government have shown.

According to the statistics, the number of children aged 15 and under in the country now stands at 16.94 million, the Japan Times reported. This is the lowest figure for 29 years and the 36th year in a row that the figure has fallen.

It also shows a drop of some 190,000 compared to last year alone, the newspaper noted.

The government said that overall, children aged 15 and under make up 13.3 per cent of the Japanese population. The country has more boys than girls and the biggest percentage of children is in the 12 to 14 years old bracket.

There are more than 3.5 million children aged between 12 and 14 in Japan.
Japan's government released the figures to coincide with the nation's Children's Day, which is marked on May 5th. Children's Day is part of Golden Week.

Written by Kimberley Homer.